Collagen Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Spring is in the air, and a fresh, lemony treat is just what we all need to get us through to the warmer months. These delightful dairy-free lemon cheesecake bars fit the bill perfectly, and there's a substantial 4 grams of collagen in each serve!

Ingredients

Makes 8

For the Base

• 1.5 cups of almond flour (ground almonds)
• 1 cup of pitted, chopped dates (chop before measuring, the weight should be around 250 grams)
• 4 Scoops Puraz Raw Collagen
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• ½ tsp salt

For the Topping

• 3 cups of cashews
• Rind and juice of two very large or four smaller lemons
• ¾ cup coconut oil (melted)
• ½ cup coconut milk or coconut cream
• ½ cup liquid sweetener (for the test kitchen we used runny honey)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Optional for extra tanginess: 1 tsp ascorbic acid or ½ tsp citric acid
• Optional for extra ‘lemony’ bars: lemon oil to taste

Method

Firstly, soak the cashews in warm water. They will need to be soaked for at least half an hour but longer is better to a certain point. Soaking overnight works very well but for food safety reasons, should be done in the fridge. The softer the cashews, the creamier the result.

Now it's time to make the base:

1. Put the almond flour, collagen, cardamom and salt in your food processor and start it running.
2. Add the dates in small amounts while the processor is running. By the time you have added them all you should have a sticky mix that forms a ball when you squeeze it.
3. Press the mix into a silicon baking tray or a regular tray that has been lined with baking paper.
4. Wash out your food processor. We will need it again to make the topping.

Making the topping:

1. Drain the cashews
2. Melt the coconut oil
3. Blend the cashews and coconut milk/cream until smooth, try to get the mix as smooth as possible, however, if you can't this won't affect the flavour: it will just be more obvious that the topping is made from nuts, not cream cheese!
4. With the blender running, add the melted coconut oil, lemon rind, sweetener, vanilla, salt
5. Start adding the lemon juice, stopping to taste test. If you've used all your lemon juice and it's still not ‘lemony’ enough, consider the optional items (citric acid, ascorbic acid or lemon oil) to get it over the line. Cashews do not have the natural tanginess of cream cheese, so a bit of experimentation may be required to reach your desired taste if your prefer stronger, rather than delicate flavours.

Finishing up:

Drop the mix in blobs onto the base and smooth it over.

Pop that in the freezer for about an hour then slice into bars.

Storage:

These bars should be stored in a sealed container in the freezer. Allow then to sit at room temperature for half an hour before serving.